Issue 24, 2020

Hexametaphosphate as a potential therapy for the dissolution and prevention of kidney stones

Abstract

The incidence of kidney stones is increasing worldwide, and recurrence is common (50% within 5 years). Citrate, the current gold standard therapy, which is usually given as potassium or sodium salts, is used because it raises urine pH and chelates calcium, the primary component of up to 94% of stones. In this study hexametaphosphate (HMP), a potent calcium chelator, was found to be 12 times more effective at dissolving calcium oxalate, the primary component of kidney stones, than citrate. HMP was also observed to be effective against other common kidney stone components, namely calcium phosphate and struvite (magnesium ammonium phosphate). Interestingly, HMP was capable of raising the zeta potential of calcium oxalate particles from −15.4 to −34.6 mV, which may prevent stone growth by aggregation, the most rapid growth mechanism, and thus avert occlusion. Notably, HMP was shown to be up to 16 times as effective as citrate at dissolving human kidney stones under simulated physiological conditions. It may thus be concluded that HMP is a promising potential therapy for calcium and struvite kidney stones.

Graphical abstract: Hexametaphosphate as a potential therapy for the dissolution and prevention of kidney stones

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
07 Febr. 2020
Accepted
14 Maijs 2020
First published
21 Maijs 2020
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

J. Mater. Chem. B, 2020,8, 5215-5224

Hexametaphosphate as a potential therapy for the dissolution and prevention of kidney stones

T. E. Robinson, E. A. B. Hughes, O. J. Wiseman, S. A. Stapley, S. C. Cox and L. M. Grover, J. Mater. Chem. B, 2020, 8, 5215 DOI: 10.1039/D0TB00343C

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